A binary star system has two stars, each with the same mass as our sun, separated by 1.10×10^12 m. A comet is very far away and essentially at rest. Slowly but surely, gravity pulls the comet toward the stars. Suppose the comet travels along a straight line that passes through the midpoint between the two stars. What is the comet's speed at the midpoint?

College Physics
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ISBN:9781305952300
Author:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
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Chapter1: Units, Trigonometry. And Vectors
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1CQ: Estimate the order of magnitude of the length, in meters, of each of the following; (a) a mouse, (b)...
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A binary star system has two stars, each with the same mass as our sun, separated by 1.10×10^12 m. A comet is very far away and essentially at rest. Slowly but surely, gravity pulls the comet toward the stars. Suppose the comet travels along a straight line that passes through the midpoint between the two stars. What is the comet's speed at the midpoint?

Expert Solution
Step 1

Write the given values with suitable variables.

r=1.1×1012 mM=2×1030 kg

Here, r denotes the separation distance and M denotes the mass of the Sun.

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